This invention relates to locking mechanisms for furniture pieces, and more particularly to ganging locks for locking multiple drawers of a cabinet.
Many storage cabinets have lockable drawers or doors. For example, file cabinets are well-known for having lockable drawers that open forwardly to provide access to paper files and the like inside. Similarly, desks often have several drawers that can be locked. In some storage cabinets the individual compartments are individually lockable. For example, a desk may include an internal lock on each of several different drawers that are independently lockable using a key. In other storage cabinets, multiple compartments may be secured using a single locking mechanism. This type of locking mechanism is typically called a ganging lock or a gang lock. In particular, a ganging lock is a lock that is designed to lock multiple compartments through a single lock. For example, file cabinets and tool chests often include a ganging lock which uses a single lock to secure the multiple drawers of the cabinet. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,306 to Resch et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for disclosure related to internal gang locks. Resch et al. disclose a ganging lock mechanism for securing cabinet drawers.
As with many storage cabinets, Resch et al. discloses a storage cabinet having an internal lock structure. These furniture pieces are adapted to receive a key or combination which unlocks the internal locking device (e.g. tumbler, switch). Once unlocked, the drawer or drawers can be opened. One attribute of many internal lock structures is that they have been designed to avoid protrusion from the exterior of the cabinet. However, there are other disadvantages to internal locking devices generally which may make them undesirable for certain applications. For example, the lock and the furniture may be so fully integrated that replacement of the locking device is unsatisfactorily difficult. For example, replacement of the lock may require disassembly or retrofitting the furniture. Second, external locks are often considered more robust and can be exchanged with newer, more advanced designs as those locks become available. As such, the external locks may be selected to meet higher security standards. Furthermore, if the security of a lock is breached or the lock is broken, an external lock may be easily replaced with a new lock.
Another example of an internal lock structure is U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,740 to England et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for disclosure related to internal gang locks. England et al. disclose a locking structure that partially encloses the face of the drawers to impede their movement. While not internal within the cabinet, this structure is referred to as internal within the present disclosure because it is welded directly to the cabinet and replacing the lock would require substantial retrofitting. This type of internal lock is in contrast to a typical “hasp” style lock mechanism which uses a padlock.
A hasp can be attached to a cabinet on either a front or side panel and allow for the securing of the cabinet through use of an external lock. However, most of these hasp style locking mechanisms protrude from the cabinet. As the term is used herein, a hasp style lock uses an external lock (e.g., a padlock) in conjunction with two relatively movable portions of a hasp, e.g., a metal plate or strap and a staple or other member configured to receive a portion of a lock so as to secure the two hasp portions together. Because the hasp style lock can receive various different locks, a variety of padlocks can be used and intermittently changed as necessary. The typical protruding hasp or associated padlock can catch on clothes or the occasional shin of a passerby and cause damage or injury. Some storage cabinets use a recessed hasp style lock. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,494 to Guibleo, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, relates to a gymnasium locker door in which a hasp and padlock are located within a recessed portion of the door panel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,920 to DeForrest, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for disclosure related to self protecting hasps, describes a means of protecting external hasps and locks from damage and/or tampering.
While the known mechanisms may be suitable in their particular applications, each has advantages and disadvantages, and a need remains for improved ganging locks for storage cabinets.